


"Being The Amber Knight"

by AloryShannon



Category: Tales of Vesperia
Genre: "Tales Of" Kink Meme Fill, F/M, Oneshot, PWP (sort-of), Shameless Smut, Tales of Kink Meme
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-12-24
Updated: 2011-12-24
Packaged: 2017-10-27 23:59:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/301521
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AloryShannon/pseuds/AloryShannon
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Estelle has read about love scenes in books; now she wants to experience it for herself, and she calls on Flynn to help her.</p>
            </blockquote>





	"Being The Amber Knight"

**Author's Note:**

> Feh. This was a written for a prompt on one of the many Tales Of Kink Memes, and I _did_ post it there anonymously, but…it got so long, and I put so much time  & effort into it, I decided to post it here as well. …You can check the time stamps if you don’t believe that I did, in fact, write this, and I believe you’ll find that the story was posted on my writing LJ first. So no, I didn’t just steal Some Anonymous Someone’s work. Ffff as if I’d ever WANT to. This fic didn’t come out entirely as expected, but…I think I’m okay with that.

_Dear Flynn:_

 _If possible, please come by my room tonight when you’re off-duty. I humbly request your assistance with an important matter, so please come regardless of the hour._

 _~ Estelle_

Flynn read the note over again, which didn’t take long, considering its brevity, searching in vain for some clue as to what the Princess could possibly need him for so late at night. He recognised her neat, feminine handwriting, too carefully formal and distinctively curvy to be anyone else’s, so he knew it really was from her; in any case, now that he was the Commandant, most people wouldn’t risk pulling this sort of practical joke on him. (Yuri was the only person who really came to mind, and Flynn knew for a fact that his childhood best friend had been nowhere near Zaphias for nearly a month now. If Yuri had really gone to all the trouble to set up that elaborate of a prank, Flynn supposed that falling for it really wouldn’t be so unbearable.)

(Probably.)

With an inward sigh, he tucked the letter back into the envelope it had come in, slipping it into an inner pocket in the top of his off-duty uniform--proof that his presence had been asked for, should anyone question him--and knocked on Lady Estellise’s door.

It wasn’t that he minded, despite the late hour and his busy schedule. Quite the opposite rather: he didn’t get to see the Princess as much as he’d used to, what with him being Commandant and her living in Halure most of the time instead of Zaphias Palace, so any chance he got to spend time with her was only ever considered a positive thing.

No, the real issue, and the only problem, was the nervous, fluttery feeling he’d always gotten around her. At first he’d written it off as nerves, only to be expected when a street urchin from the Lower Quarter was in the presence of a blue-blooded Imperial Princess. When the feeling didn’t fade once he’d gotten to know her a bit better, he’d told himself that it was a reverent deference, the just and proper due of a Knight to the Royalty he served. But when the feeling intensified tenfold when she grasped his hands or her arm accidentally brushed against his, Flynn knew he was deceiving himself. That feeling had nothing to do with complicated things like honour and politics; instead, it was something far more simple--the attraction of a healthy, red-blooded young man to a kind, beautiful, intelligent young woman.

And yet, at the same time, it _was_ complicated. Despite the fact that she hadn’t been placed on the throne, she was still a Princess, and despite his rank, he was still too low-born to entertain any thoughts of their relationship being anything more intimate than good friends. But even though his head knew all that and more, a hundred and one reasons why it was hopeless and why he should forget about it entirely, it didn’t stop his heart from fluttering anxiously (in a decidedly unknightly and unmasculine fashion) at the prospect of seeing Lady Estellise and passing an hour or two alone with her.

Being alone with her for a short while wasn’t really all that unusual; they’d had late-night talks before, the few times she’d managed to slip away from the guards. None of those talks had been in her personal chambers, however--it wouldn’t have been proper, and back then neither of them had been willing to risk the backlash that sort of gossip could engender.

…Then again, there _was_ the time she’d had him help her set up that telescope in her room, and the time she’d been looking for someone to spar with while Drake was away, as well as the time she’d read about some new dance step in one of her books and decided she needed a suitable partner to learn it with straightaway…

Yes, he decided, this was fairly normal for Lady Estellise, a conclusion that was supported on his arrival at the Princess’s chambers. She answered just seconds after he knocked, looking breathless and a little flushed and all the lovelier for it—but no, he shouldn’t be thinking that way. Best not to encourage himself in that vein.

“Flynn!” Both her arms slipped around one of his, the action intended to be both an affectionate embrace of sorts as well as a way of eagerly pulling him inside. “Thank you for coming on such short notice,” she said as she led him through the fairly large, book-lined antechamber, releasing his arm just before they stepped into her bedroom proper, both rooms lit by flickering candles as well as a small lamp or two. “I apologise for troubling you…”

“It’s really no trouble at all,” Flynn replied with a smile, then paused in the doorway to her bed chamber. He couldn’t help but waver just an instant before crossing that threshold, but for some reason, the way Estellise was happily pouring them some tea at the table across the room went a long way towards dispelling any remaining discomfiture he felt regarding the situation. When she offered it, he accepted the cup and saucer with another smile. They were friends, he was grateful for the chance to spend some time with her regardless of her reasons for summoning him, and his own personal feelings had nothing to do with any of this. They were best firmly put aside and ignored.

“I hope I didn’t take you away from anything too important…” From the anxious look on her face, Flynn could tell that she’d known he’d probably drop everything in response to her summons--he always had before, after all.

“Just some paperwork. It should keep for another day…though to be honest, I was a little surprised to get your note,” he said with a tranquil smile intended to put her at ease. “It’s been a while since you’ve stayed at the palace for more than a few days, hasn’t it? I hear you’ve been making quite a name for yourself as a storyteller in Halure, and your books seem to be pretty popular in every city I’ve been to lately.”

The pink-haired girl blushed most winsomely, though her expression was eager as well as embarrassed. “R-really…? I’ve been so busy lately, I haven’t travelled much. I had no idea…”

“Their popularity is well-deserved, too. I’ve read them all myself, so I should know.” His smile widened at her obvious surprise. “I liked _Legend of the Dragon’s Star_ best, I think, though I enjoyed _The Mage of Ivy Thorn Castle_ quite a lot as well. And as for your children’s stories, the story about the lost sparrow was my favourite.”

“I’m not surprised. I wrote the sparrow story with Yuri in mind,” she admitted, pleased but still a little flustered by all the praise, as well as the idea of having such a wide and receptive audience for her stories.

“That doesn’t surprise me either. Truthfully, I wondered if that was the case.” He gave a mock sigh of frustration. “It’s sort of a waste, though—Yuri’s not really much of a reader.”

“…Yes…that’s why I made sure it was a _children’s_ story,” Estelle said with a giggle. “Between you and Rita, I’m sure someone will get him to read it eventually.”

Flynn shook his head. “He’d like it if he did. He just might not admit it, so don’t let it bother you. You’re much too talented for something like that to slow you down.” He paused long enough to take a thoughtful sip of tea. “…Come to think of it, it’s been a few months since your last story was released. Is something the matter?”

“Actually…that’s what I need your help with,” Estelle admitted, staring down at her folded hands almost shamefacedly. “I’m stuck on a _very_ important scene in my latest book, and you were the first person I thought of when I realised I’d need someone else to help me with it.” She looked up, concern plain on her face. “I—I know you might feel like I’m just using you, but I couldn’t think of anything else to try. I hope you don’t mind…”

He gave her a reassuring smile. “I’m no writer, so I don’t know how much help I’ll be, but whatever it is, I’m sure I won’t mind. And you don’t need to worry about using me—both as a Knight and as your friend, I’m always at your service.”

Seemingly encouraged by his reply, at least somewhat, the Princess nodded, her smile grateful. “Thank you, Flynn… Just wait here, I’ll be right back!”

With a rustling flurry of skirts, she disappeared back into the book-filled sitting room, quickly returning with a thick volume cradled lovingly in her arms. _The Tale of the Jade Planet,_ the cover read, and Flynn blinked in unabashed curiosity. It was one of her favourites, he knew, and he’d always meant to read it, but he just hadn’t gotten around to it quite yet. During his time as a lieutenant and a captain, he’d been too focused on doing everything he could to climb higher in the ranks, and now that he’d done so, the position of Commandant had settled a world of new responsibilities on his shoulders. These days it was all he could do to keep up with Estelle’s writing, and the only reason he’d managed to do that much was because she hadn’t produced anything new in the past few months. He’d had just enough time to catch up.

Setting the book on the table between them and turning up the flame of the lamp sitting in the middle of the table a bit, she started fanning through the pages. “…Uh, uhm, it’s…the scene I want to write is…sort of a tribute to a scene in this book, and…it’s a something I’m not at all familiar with, so…I just thought if you could play the part of the Amber Knight for me…” Her cheeks had gone a little pink, and Flynn noticed that she couldn’t seem to bring herself to look up at him at the moment.

Flynn frowned slightly. He’d known her to quote long passages from all sorts of obscure books before--how curious that she’d felt the need to look up this particular passage. _She must really be preoccupied by her writer’s block if she can’t remember an important scene from one of the stories she loves most._

“That’s one of your favourite books, isn’t it?” he asked, hoping to put her at ease again. “I’m surprised you don’t have the whole thing memorised by now.”

For some reason, that only made her hunch over the book even further, pink hair hiding an equally pink face. “…I do, but I…I just want to be absolutely sure it’s word for word this time, so I-I’ll just read it to you, if that’s all right…” She turned a few more pages, found her place with her finger, cleared her throat, then started reading aloud:

 _“ ‘Long have I loved thee thus, my lady,’ the Amber Knight declared, his grip on her hand tightening as he gazed up at her from where he kneeled before her. ‘And I knowest that thou doth love me in kind…’ He stood, pulling her body close to his, and she felt a rush of heat, of joy, of pleasure when she found they fit together as if they were two parts of a whole. ‘…Therefore I wouldst prove my love to thee in a manner most bold and absolute, binding thee unto me for all time.’_

 _With that, he leaned in, capturing her lips and stealing both her heart and her breath with a deep kiss. His fingers were sure as they unfastened her rich robes, and within moments they fell around her feet, leaving her entirely bare before his hungry eyes and wandering hands. Her own hands were not nearly so steady, but with his aid, he was soon every bit as bare as she. Gently he took her in his arms, carrying her across the moonlit room to his bed, lowering her to the silken sheets._

 _‘Sir Knight,’ she said when he paused, momentarily struck motionless by her beauty. ‘Come and take what is rightfully thine; come and claim thy prize.’_

 _‘As you wish, my lady,’ he murmured, and descended upon her with a passion, fairly ravishing her mouth with his next kiss._

 _She gloried in the feel of his hard, hot body pressing against her own, and a breathless cry escaped her as his hand slipped down her side, across her thigh, and—”_

Before she could finish that sentence, a desperate choking sound from Flynn cut off her narrative. The blonde Knight was stunned, too stunned to find a single word, much less remember how to speak, struck dumb with a thoroughly dismayed kind of shock—which was only all the more shocking because, florid and overdone as parts of it were, he could still feel himself starting to respond to the scene she’d been reading. Entirely unbidden, the images had flooded his head, for if he was to play the part of the Amber Knight, and Lady Estellise was to be the main character…

“W-we—I-I-I can’t do that, Your Highness!” He struggled momentarily to regain his composure, and though he only partially succeeded, his voice at least recovered a great deal of its steady authority. “I can’t-- _we_ can’t--for a lot of reasons. The difference in our social status, for one, as well as the fact that we haven’t pledged troth to each other. And if anyone found out, it would mean disgrace for you…I can’t allow that to happen. Protecting your honour and your reputation is just as important to me as protecting your life! And for me…something like this could undermine everything I’ve worked for, and in any case—it’s just… _wrong!”_

Reading that passage aloud seemed to have relaxed the Princess considerably, because instead of accepting any or all of his answers, the girl just blinked those wide green eyes curiously and asked another question. “It’s wrong? But so many of the books I’ve read said that if you really cared about the person, it wasn’t wrong at all, no matter what anyone else might think.” She rose, setting the book down and coming around the table to stand at his side. Her hands slipped around his upper arm again, and she gave it a gentle tug, hugging it to her chest. “I care about you a lot, Flynn, and I know you care about me, too!”

“O-of course I do, Lady Estellise,” Flynn stuttered, his newly-reestablished calm dissipating with alarming speed. She’d never held back when it came to touching people in general, and touching him in particular, it seemed. It didn’t help that this time he wasn’t wearing any armour, just the Knights’ standard off-duty uniform (consisting of a simple sleeveless tunic, a long-sleeved undershirt, and breeches), so he had to swallow hard and try to ignore the soft press of her breasts against his arm. “But that’s not—I mean, what those books are really saying—what they mean about _caring_ is a little different than—” He looked down, knowing he had to ask even if he didn’t really want to hear the answer. “…What about Yuri?”

“Wh-what? What _about_ Yuri?” she replied, just a little too quickly, abruptly letting go of his arm. That was answer enough for Flynn. Taking care not to let his teacup rattle and betray his shaking hands as he set it down, he got to his feet and moved towards the door all at once.

“Lady Estellise…this isn’t the kind of thing you do with just anyone—not even with someone who’s a good, trusted friend. It should be done with the person you truly _love_ …someone you want to spend your life with.” He braced himself inwardly, but took care to keep his voice gentle and unaccusing, “...Forgive me if I’m wrong, but I don’t think you feel that way about me.”

There was an unspeakably sad undertone in those words that drew her interest, all the more so because he had obviously tried so hard to hide it. The way he was avoiding her gaze only confirmed her sudden realisation.

“…But… _you_ feel that way about _me,_ don’t you?” she said, the hesitant whisper of someone who had only now seen something that should have been obvious long ago.

Flynn raised his eyes, startled and half afraid and apologetic all at once. “…I…” His lips stilled, partly open, but from the conflict on his face, he might as well have admitted it. Conflict, because he didn’t want to lie to her, and yet telling the truth was only likely to be that much more awkward and painful for both of them.

“Yuri and I are just friends. That’s all he’s ever seen me as, and I know it’s all he ever _will_ see me as. Like a little sister.” There was a hint of sorrow in her voice, in her eyes, but there was acceptance and gratitude as well. She moved to stand directly in front of him, blocking his way to the door, and reached out to place her hands on his chest. “You know that I’ve always had trouble making decisions, but _this_ wasn’t something I ever worried about being wrong. This is what I want…so long as you don’t mind.”

She sounded so certain, and to his surprise, Flynn found he didn’t mind at all--or at least not as much as he knew he probably should have. But he really _did_ want her, and he’d been forced to realise that he was at least half in love with her, that he had been for years, and it had been so long since he’d simply let himself have something he wanted this badly. He hadn’t had the time (or honestly, the interest in anyone he’d thought attainable) to develop or maintain a relationship, and he didn’t approve of one-night-stands either, so it had been a while since he’d done anything like this. Still, while he wasn’t the most experienced person in the world in these sorts of situations, he’d been a reckless, curious teenage boy once upon a time, so he’d seen—and done—his share of this sort of thing. Enough to know exactly what he was doing.

Nevertheless, it was going to be _her_ first time…

Gently he took her hands from where they rested against his chest, grasping them in his own. “Lady Estellise…are you sure that this is what you really want? That _I’m_ really who you want?”

His eyes were soft but searching as he looked down into her face, and when asked so directly, so earnestly, the Princess couldn’t help but blush, though she smiled a little as well. “Yes,” she nodded, her tone firm. “This is definitely what I—”

Before she could finish her sentence, he was kissing her--a soft, tender kiss, chaste and entirely respectful. He was mindful that it might very well have been her first kiss, after all, and he wanted it to be a pleasant one, a good memory. Besides, with what she’d said she wanted from him, there would be plenty of time for all sorts of messy kisses later on.

Estelle slowly opened her eyes as he broke off the kiss, finding him looking down at her with a tender expression that was still slightly inquisitive; clearly he wanted to make absolutely certain she hadn’t changed her mind. She smiled back in response, her hands slipping out of his to grasp the sides of his tunic, pulling him towards her as she stood on tiptoes to press her lips to his again. At that his hands came up, cupping her face, and while it started every bit as soft and chaste as their first, he’d soon coaxed her lips apart, the kiss growing slow and deep. She started a bit, jerking back a little at the odd and unexpected sensation, but soon grew accustomed to it, shyly touching her tongue to his, copying his movements. Soon her mouth was moving against his almost hungrily--he was kissing her so openly, so reverently, she couldn’t help but want more.

Flynn’s eyes snapped open in surprise when he felt her hands fumbling with the front of his tunic, trying to unfasten it without breaking off their kiss. He tilted his head and kissed her harder to make up for dropping his hands from her face, helping her get his shirt open, but there was no way to avoid breaking it off as he paused to drag his undershirt over his head, leaving him bare-chested. His breath caught in his throat when he found that she hadn’t been idle either: her gloves had been cast aside carelessly, and her dress was already halfway off, though she was having some difficulty with the final few buttons holding it closed. Moving to stand behind her, he deftly unfastened them, swallowing hard as the elegant gown slithered to the floor, leaving her back entirely bare to him. His gaze lingered on the nape of her neck, his heart stumbling a bit at the sight, and he suddenly found that he couldn’t resist leaning forward to press an open-mouthed kiss to that smooth, delicately pale skin.

Estelle gasped at the touch, letting her head drop to expose more of her neck to him; his hands settled on her waist, pulling her back against him, and lost in the moment as she was, she guided his hands upward to her chest instead. They went more than willingly, gently cupping her modestly-sized breasts, and on realising that they filled his palms, for the first time, she didn’t wish they were bigger. The way he caressed them, tracing the edges of the areolae, gently rolling her nipples between his fingers, soon had her arching back against him, her hands tightening around his forearms in something approaching frustration, searching for something to hold on to, some part of him she could reach. Sensing her growing tension, he pressed a brief kiss to the juncture between her neck and shoulder, then literally swept her off her feet, carrying her over to her bed. Once he’d set her down, his hands went to his belt buckle—and then wavered briefly as he fought one final losing battle with his conscience.

“ ‘S-Sir Knight’…” Flynn looked up at that, boots and belt off but his pants still only halfway undone, and was momentarily transfixed and breathless at the sight of her lying there, willing and waiting and entirely naked, her panties a crumpled scrap of silk and lace still encircling one of her ankles. Dark as the room had grown, he could still see the colour burning in the Princess’s cheeks as she quoted from the passage that had started all this. “ ‘Come and take what is rightfully thine…come and claim thy prize.’ ”

Locking his arms, he leaned over her, pressing a kiss to her forehead, her cheek, lingering longest on her lips before pulling back to give the expected reply: “ ‘As you wish, my lady.’ ”

And with a smile, he proceeded to do just that.

Losing his pants and shorts, he joined her on the bed, giving her a chance to satisfy her curiosity, to look at and touch him, his face turning a deeper red than her own as she did so. He bit back a moan as her light touch suddenly turned to a firm, though experimental, grasp and stroke, and a moment later, he was pushing her down against the pillows with an almost desperate kiss. Then it was her turn to gasp and moan as he explored her with his hands, his mouth, his tongue, lavishing particular attention on her neck and breasts.

Though he was careful not to be too rough, Flynn let himself go in a way he hadn’t done in years; the closest thing to it had been the reckless abandonment he’d felt whenever he and Yuri had fought with every ounce of their strength and every inch of their wills. This was different, of course, and never had he let himself go so much, even as a teenager; never had he dedicated himself to pleasuring someone else so fully, doing his best to lose himself in the myriad sensations of making love to the woman he had devoted himself to. Because despite everything Estelle had said, all the reassurances she’d given, and every argument he had that this was not a mistake, Flynn still couldn’t let himself think about it too much—couldn’t let himself remember that she was of royal blood and that regardless of his rank, he was still no one, that he had no right to touch her like this, that his mouth shouldn’t be on the gentle swell of her breast or his hand on the silky-soft skin on the inside of her leg, caressing it and slowly sliding upwards.

She was already wet, he found as he stroked a couple fingers up and down the outside folds of her sex. They both gave a shudder a moment later as he pushed one finger inside her—she because of the new, pleasurable experience, and he because she was so warm, so _tight_ … Better try to loosen her up a bit, he decided, or he wouldn’t even be able to get in, much less move. Soon he’d added a second finger, and her hips were moving in time with his hand, her breathing growing more and more laboured; she gave a little cry of protest when he pulled his hand away, then another of renewed pleasure as he rubbed the little bundle of nerves at the top of her sex hard with wet, sticky fingers. Soon she gave a jerk and a long shudder, her hands grasping at his shoulders, trying to find something to hold onto as her whole body shook in a way she’d never felt before.

Flynn watched her as she came, unable to resist smirking to himself just slightly. This was an expression no one else had seen on her face, and there was something satisfying in knowing that he’d been the first to see it, that he had been the cause of it.

As her shaking subsided and her breathing started to even out again, Flynn pressed a few idle kisses to her shoulder and collarbone, the action almost meditative. He didn’t know what happened next in that book of hers, but he figured he might as well be thorough; besides, he’d been given no guarantees that he would ever get to touch her this way again, and if the first time was the last time, he wanted to make it count—for it to be something she would never forget. And even if he couldn’t say what he really felt, he could at least try to show her…

Her eyes opened as she felt the bed shift, then went wide as he spread her legs, kissing the insides of her thighs before settling himself between them. She hadn’t read very _many_ racy books (the castle librarians were very strict about what they allowed into the stacks, and her tutors had been even stricter about what she was allowed to read), but she’d managed to sneak a half dozen or so over the years, reading them simply for curiosity’s sake…and while she _thought_ she knew his intentions, she was still uncertain enough to ask. “F-Flynn, what…?”

“Just trust me. You’ll like this.”

Anything else she might’ve had to say was cut off as he pressed his mouth to her, licking and sucking and very lightly nipping in turn. She buried her fingers in his hair, her back arching, and soon he had to hold her legs down to keep her still; a hard suck on that bundle of nerves as he drove two fingers into her once again had her trembling and clenching around those fingers, throwing her head back with a strangled, wordless cry.

Pressing one last kiss to the inside of her knee, Flynn pulled back, then moved upwards, stretching out on the bed close beside her. Again he found himself watching her, staring down into her face, though this time, he couldn’t resist reaching out to touch her as well, lightly trailing his hands over her slight curves and soft, pale skin.

“…Lady Estellise…are you all right?”

She hummed a soft affirmative, one of her hands searching for his hand, then loosely threading her fingers through his as she turned shining eyes up at him. “That was…amazing! I’ve never felt anything like it…”

“…It’s going to be worse if we keep going, though…it might really hurt, and I...” He bowed his head, pressing his forehead to hers, breathing out a quiet sigh. “If you want to stop here—”

“No.” There was authority in her tone, and her hand tightened around his. “I don’t want to stop.”

He didn’t want to stop either, of course—he was so hard, he was starting to ache uncomfortably—and that was all he needed to hear. Knowing she was as wet and ready as she would ever be, he wordlessly settled himself between her legs once again, leaning in for one last, long kiss before angling his hips just so and pressing himself inside.

She knew he had been very gentle with her this whole time--inexperienced as she was, the way his every touch had been light at first, only gradually shifting towards a steady firmness made that much obvious—but this, the actual act, still hurt a lot more than she’d expected it to, at least at first. So much so that the tears starting in her eyes crested her lids and trickled slowly down her cheeks, and concern soon overcame every other emotion on the blonde Knight’s face. Eyes wide, he tensed, and would have pulled out and put an end to it all immediately if Estelle hadn’t grasped at his arms and twined her legs around his in a way she hadn’t known she could until that very instant.

“Don’t,” she breathed, trying to relax around him and force her voice to stay steady, only partly succeeding in both cases. “I…I still…want this…” She swallowed hard, but the words were true, and saying them could only help the situation, especially on Flynn’s end. It was clear from his stricken expression that he was horrified at the idea of intentionally causing her any kind of pain. “…And…and you.”

That stricken expression softened for a moment before he lowered his head, blonde hair brushing her exposed breastbone, tickling her breasts. She only narrowly resisted the urge to squirm, knowing it would probably hurt. “L-Lady Estellise…I don’t think I can move,” he half-gasped. He was nearly sick at the thought of possibly losing control and hurting her even more, but she felt so _good,_ so wet and hot and tight and _perfect_ that he could feel his whole body trembling, longing to take her there and then and _hard._ “I-I don’t know if I can…”

“It…it will be okay,” she said, reaching up a hand to brush a few strands of sweat-soaked blonde hair away from his cheek, letting her fingers curl into the soft hair at the base of his neck. “Just…try to go slow at first…”

Swallowing hard, he nodded, bracing himself over her before forcing himself to do as she said, keeping each thrust and roll of his hips slow and methodical. It was almost unbearable at first, how tight she was, how tense her whole body was, the fresh tears on her cheeks, the way she pressed a hand to her mouth to keep from whimpering aloud, but gradually, as she relaxed and her body grew accustomed to the size and length of him, it became easier. Her muffled squeaks of discomfort slowly changed back to gasps and groans of pleasure, and though he could move more freely, he was determined to keep his pace slow and steady for as long as he could stand it.

Apparently Estelle had different ideas, however.

“Faster, Flynn—harder,” she said, panting a little and reflexively clamping her legs around his hips more firmly. “I don’t care if it hurts—you need this—and so do I—”

He was all too willing to comply, finally loosing his restraint and pounding into her hard enough to make the bed hit the wall with every thrust, hard enough to make her cry out just a little too loud, causing him to pause and grind into her as he silenced her with a rough, messy kiss. She writhed beneath him when he took up the pace again, gasping his name, and soon she was shaking again, harder than ever.

Flynn almost choked on his relief—he hadn’t known how much longer he could hold himself back—giving a few final thrusts before starting to pull out—

“N-no…!” Estelle said, tightening her grip on his hips again, all but forcing him back inside. “I want all of you,” she managed to gasp, her chest still heaving from exertion, “and— _ah!_ —I want you—to take me all the way—”

In all honesty, he wanted to protest--there were too many possible consequences to something like this, and he was nothing if not responsible--but even his considerable self-control wasn’t absolute. Her words, the fact that she’d said she wanted him, all of him, as well as the way she was unconsciously grinding herself against him were just too much, too fast; his last thread of restraint snapped, and he moved over her again, once, twice, before uttering a low cry as he finally let himself find release.

Estelle pulled him close, her hands moving over his sweat-slicked back and shoulders as his body quivered and jerked against her own before going still, his breath hot on her neck and shoulder. He was heavy, but it was a comfortable sort of weight, and she’d recovered enough to be able to enjoy it. Less enjoyable was the noticeable ache between her legs, and the stickiness covering her inner thighs felt strange more than anything, but the sense of fulfillment and lazy satisfaction running through her whole body was enough to make up for anything else.

Still, Estelle couldn’t help but wince a bit as Flynn slipped himself out of her, stretching out beside her once again, this time flat on his back. After a moment of hesitance, she inched towards him, pressing up against his side; when he smiled and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer, she sighed and relaxed, resting her head on his chest. And for a few contented heartbeats, they just laid there in silence, thinking about nothing except the person beside them.

“…Lady Estellise…” Flynn began, his quiet voice breaking the silence, the edge of nervousness to it glaringly obvious. Looking at the expression on his face, she almost thought he was going to apologise, or say this had all been a mistake. Although she knew he was probably just blaming himself for something, part of her couldn’t help but wonder if maybe she’d been really awful. It _had_ been her first time, after all…

“I’m sorry, Flynn!” she burst out before he could say another word. “I-I didn’t really know what I was doing…I haven’t read very many books about this sort of thing…but next time, I’ll be better! I promise!”

His uneasy expression vanished, replaced by surprise verging on alarm, though a faint, hopeful brush of colour touched his cheeks at the mention of there being a _next time._ “No, you don’t have anything to apologise for,” he said with a slight smile. “I was just worried that I’d hurt you…or that you regretted doing this.”

“I’m fine…it _did_ hurt, but…it wasn’t that bad.” Her smile widened, and she gave a happy little giggle as she curled against him, pressing her cheek against his chest. “And I don’t regret it at all.”

She did feel very sleepy all of the sudden, though, and before she knew it, she was dozing off; she was awake just long enough to catch Flynn’s faint sigh of relief, as well as his soft murmur of, “…I’m glad. I don’t regret it at all, either.”

Flynn let his eyes drift partly closed as he listened to Estelle’s breathing even out, but though sleep was weighing heavily on his eyelids, he resisted its pull. He was entirely too aware of where he was and what would happen if he fell asleep and a servant found them that way in the morning to take any chances. Even if the prospect of falling asleep tangled up together and then waking up with her _was_ an extremely tempting one…

He stared up at the ceiling for perhaps an hour, holding her close and letting her rest until he knew he couldn’t fight off sleep any longer. Then, pressing one final, tender kiss to her temple, he slipped out of her grasp and out of the bed—almost. Her hand caught the crook of his elbow just as his feet touched the floor, and he looked over his shoulder to find her watching him with anxious eyes.

“…I wish I could stay,” he said, ( _more than you know,_ he added in his head), “but if anyone was to find me here…”

For a moment, the Princess looked like she was about to protest, but instead she gave a reluctant nod, dropping her hand, letting her fingers trail down his arm.

“…Then…maybe…one more time before you go…?” she mumbled, going a rather fetching shade of pink. In actuality, she didn’t know if she could manage it—she was already pretty stiff and raw-feeling from the first time.

Lucky for her, Flynn must have suspected as much, flashing her an affectionate smile before turning to give her a long, lingering kiss. “Don’t push yourself,” he murmured against her mouth, tucking a strand of short pink hair behind her ear. “You should take it easy this time…but _next time,”_ he said with a rakish wink that had her thinking of Yuri, “we’ll do whatever you want.”

That was something to look forward to, at least. And maybe by then, she’d’ve figured out why she was feeling so confused and conflicted right now. Outwardly Estelle just nodded, forcing a smile as she curled up on her side and drew the blankets up to her chin, trying not to feel lonely. It was proving to be harder to do than she’d expected.

Funny that none of her books had said anything at all about that.

“I’m leaving for Nordopolica in the morning,” Flynn went on as he quickly (and rather self-consciously) gathered up his clothes and dressed. “You’ll probably be gone by the time I return, but I’ll visit you in Halure as soon as I get back.” _And hopefully, I’ll be able to spend the whole night with you,_ he thought, not even trying to hide the longing in his eyes as he stopped buttoning his tunic to look over at her. _Maybe more than one night. And maybe…I’ll even be able to tell you how I feel. Even though I know I shouldn’t…even though I’ve already given myself away…even though you already know, I want you to hear me say those words…_

Fully dressed, he straightened his tunic-collar, then knelt at her bedside to brush the backs of his fingers across her cheek, hoping with every fibre of his being that she wouldn’t hate him for this in the morning.

“Thank you, Flynn,” Estelle murmured, reaching up to briefly catch hold of his hand, and no matter how it all turned out in the end, he knew he’d never forget the way she smiled as she looked up at him in that moment. “For everything…”

Dropping a perfect, courtly kiss on her knuckles, he returned her smile, then rose and headed for the door; when he paused in the doorway to look back one last time, he was unsurprised to find her watching him go.

 _…I love you._


End file.
